Breaking Faith

As John Paul II's papacy draws to a close, the Church, its policies, and its future are being scrutinized by governments, religious leaders, and millions of Catholics around the globe. The election of the next pope will have a greater impact on world affairs than that of the next president of the United States -- or the leader of any single nation. In his controversial bestseller Hitler's Pope, John Cornwell eloquently expressed both disagreement with the Catholic Church and his own deeply felt commitment to it. Here, he examines a Catholic Church in crisis, providing a penetrating overview of this institution at a crossroads.

In Breaking Faith, Cornwell explains why he left the Church but returned to it after twenty years because he "couldn't do without it" and because he is convinced that Catholicism still has the power to make the world a better place. Cornwell addresses issues that range from the core concepts of everyday practice -- confession, liturgy, sexual practices, divorce -- to issues that concern the organization of the church globally including the changing face of priesthood, the ordination of women, and the challenge of the conservative movement worldwide. He argues that the Church is a vital channel for good works and a source of broad moral direction, even for those who are not bound by its strictures.

Cornwell has spent a lifetime thinking about individual choice and the Catholic Church. He offers readers a highly provocative, personal, and passionate book that explores both the striking divisions in today's Church and the strengths upon which it can draw to survive and thrive in the coming century. Breaking Faith is sure to spark worldwide debate among Catholicsand non-Catholics alike.